For 11 days a year many thousands of people come from all over the UK, Europe, America and the rest of the world to join a carnival celebration of ideas and stories at the Hay Festival.The programme of some six hundred events (including two free days for schools and a parallel programme for children and families, called HAYDAYS) takes place in the tented festival village during the spring bank holiday. Writers, politicians, poets, scientists, comedians, philosophers and musicians come together on the greenfield site to talk, eat, think, drink and be merry.

The full programme is available at Easter, and tickets can be booked online through the festival website, by post or fax, or in person at the Box Office, 25 Lion Street, Hay-on-Wye, tel: 01497 822629.